Dark Ones
by phantomworks
Summary: Once every few centuries, there are those born with immensely destructive powers. They bring terror to everyone until their last dieing breath. Or at least, they did.  you think the Dark Ones are the Yamis? you are. Dead. Wrong.


Phantomworks; I don't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic.

Chapter 1

Once every few centuries, there are those born into the human world that wield destructive powers, though never more than four at once. They bring terror everywhere they go, chaos following like a companion. They find no rest as long as there are people to kill before them.

They are called the 'Dark Ones'. Thought they have these powers, they seem exactly the same as any other human. The only difference is a black tattoo-like mark somewhere on their body, but humans realize this too late.

Having had enough of the fear, the humans called out to the 'gods' of their lands, to any wizard or witch alive to rid them of these menaces.

And their wish was granted.

The 'gods' challenged the Dark Ones, dueling them to the death and reigning victorious. Every time after that, the Dark Ones, once found would be taken away by the 'gods', never to be seen again.

This has forced them into hiding, reigning in their powers to keep their identities a secret. Yet every time, the 'gods' somehow find them.

And they disappear.

~present day, actual story~

Amethyst eyes stared at two different notices on the town's bulletin board. One was a flyer, or bounty as was more aptly put, for the finding of a Dark One, preferably alive. He gulped.

The other, written in very dark ink, said:

**To those who are able to read this,**

**You are a Dark One.**

**As you have most likely seen, there is a bounty on our head. Whether to be kept captive or sent to fight the gods, I don't know. All I know is that if we are caught;**

**We're done for.**

**Because of this, many of us have decided to hide and wait out this search. We'll be waiting at the Riverstain Cliffs for the next month; we will be gathering all dark ones and then setting out for our sanctuary. Come if you can, it's your only hope.**

**Signed,**

**Leader of the Dark Ones.**

The hooded figure blinked and swallowed thickly. He knew this day would come eventually, but he hadn't imagined it would be this soon! And why the Riverstain Cliffs? That's the most dangerous area to make a camp in, let alone travel the predator infested trails to! It did make sense because no one was foolish enough to travel there, let alone look for the Dark Ones, but how was he supposed to get there?

He wasn't _exactly_ the tallest or strongest person around, couldn't even defend himself properly. How was he supposed to survive! Hanging his head, he let himself fall briefly into the scared sadness that he felt and the fear for his life.

"I wonder what that one says…" A voice broke him out of his thoughts. Blinking, amethyst eyes focused on the lone figure reading the notices, or at least trying to read the 'For Dark Ones' one.

The person was strikingly like himself, short height and wild tri-colored hair. However, the other had a stronger, more dangerous air about him with those dark crimson eyes and a sword latches to a belt at his hip.

Noticing that the person was staring at him, the amethyst eyed boy blushed slightly in embarrassment, "Er… what?"

"That one, that dark inky one. Doesn't look like any language I've ever seen." The man pointed to the one he had been reading just minutes ago, "Is it the local language?"

"N-no, I don't know what it means." The boy quickly turned his head away.

"Are you sure?" the man pressed, "You were staring at it for a while there…"

"I told you I don't, so I don't! Leave me alone!" the boy turned to run, but a hand caught his wrist. Fear bubbled up in his throat, "Let me go! _Let me go!"_

"Wait, wait! Calm down! I'm sorry!" the grip left his wrist and the boy pulled away quickly. "I didn't mean to make you angry! I'm sorry."

Amethyst eyes stared into crimson as the boy fingered his slightly abused wrist. Blinking, he asked incredulously, "You're… apologizing… to me?"

"Of course, it would be rude not to." The man arched an eyebrow at him, "is it common for people to be rude in this town?"

"Well, no. you see-!" The boy was shoved to the ground by a large hand, his brown peasant robes sprawling out around him. As quickly as he had fallen, he had gotten up again, whipping around to face his attacker.

"Well, well, Yugi. Making yourself a little friend? You know you're not allowed to do that." A hulking figure sneered down at him as Yugi took a few more steps back.

"Ushio…" he breathed.

"You don't want t'be friends with him, stranger. Everyone around him ends up… disappearing…" Ushio chuckled darkly at something that lacked humor.

_Because of you!_ Yugi wanted to say, but gritted his teeth. If he said anything, he'd be beaten even more than usual. If only he had stayed away from town today, then he wouldn't be in this mess!

"Is that true?" the stranger asked. Yugi couldn't look up at him, tears in his eyes, knowing he'd see a fearful or disgusted look.

"Of course it's true. There's a curse about him, don't you know?" Ushio laughed.

"Curse?"

Maybe he could get away while the two were distracted? Taking a deep breath, he prepared to run when once again, his wrist was caught. This time by a much, _much_ larger hand. He cried out in pain.

"Yes, curse. This runt killed his own family! In cold blood in the dead of night! And ever since then, if he's made a friend, they go missing the day after only to turn up as a dead body. It's a curse that he's been inflicting on the village so I've taken up the job of keeping him in line." The bully explained as Yugi tried to wrench himself out of the painful grip.

"Ushio, please! I wasn't doing anything! He was asking for directions! That's it! Please let me go!" Yugi whimpered as the grip tightened. Ushio glanced between the two.

"Is that true?" Ushio asked the stranger. Yugi pleaded with his eyes, begging him to say yes so Yugi could get away with little harm. Crimson eyes blinked at him before turning to the bully.

"No, of course we're friends." The stranger replied. Amethyst eyes widened in fear and he froze. Then he tried all the harder to get the grip to loosen. His life depended on it.

"Now, now, Yugi. You know what happens when you try and make friends. You'll have to be taught a lesson." Yugi cringed, curling in on himself as best as he could, knowing what was coming next. Most likely a fist, maybe a knee to the stomach this time if Ushio was really mad.

He saw the fist come up and come at him. Closing his eyes tight, he braced himself for the pain.

But it never came.

Confused, Yugi opened his eyes the barest amount, in case Ushio was tricking him. He gasped as he saw red eyes glowing in anger, quietly thanking the heavens that they weren't turned on him. The stranger had caught the fist and had a good grip on the bully's other wrist, the one restraining Yugi.

"I said we are friends and since we are, I would appreciate it if you _unhand him._" The stranger's voice grew dangerously low. His grip tightened on the bully's wrist until Yugi was sure that he heard cracking sounds. The grip loosened enough for him to reclaim his hand. "Thank you." The stranger said smugly.

With that, he let go of both hands, shoving the big man to the ground in the process. However, Yugi knew that Ushio wouldn't just walk away after being shown up by someone smaller than him. Quickly, he took the stranger's hand.

"He won't stay down for long, come on! This way!" Yugi said as he dragged the stranger after him. Soon they were running side by side through small closed in alleys that lay between close-knit houses. Somewhere behind them, they heard a murderous roar that spurred them faster until they got to Yugi's hide out.

His hide-out was an alcove that's opening was just big enough for the stranger to squeeze through. Inside it was dark; barely any sunlight came through the cracks of the stone wall. Lighting a small candle, Yugi turned to the stranger who was still panting from their run.

They stared at each other for a moment before the man started chuckling. Confused, but relieved, Yugi joining in, laughing until his sides hurt.

"Well, that went well!" the stranger commented after the laughter died down.

"Did you see his face?" Yugi exclaimed with a mock expression of surprise. This earned another short round of laughter for his effort.

"That I did, little one, that I did."

Yugi blushed at the nickname, "Hey, I'm dot that short!"

"But you are smaller than me!" the man pointed out, chuckling at Yugi's pout. Cracking a small smile, Yugi sighed. He wished that this moment didn't have to end. To think, his first friend in years!

"So is it true?" the voice broke him out of his thoughts again.

"Hm? Is what true?" Yugi asked.

"That you are cursed?"

Blinking, Yugi's face fell. He rested his arms on his knees, curling in on himself before answering, "No… well, partly. Ushio is the one who kills all my friends, but everyone blames in on me, on the curse… because of what happened…"

"To your parents?" Yugi nodded, taking an unsteady breath.

"My parents… were attacked in the woods… by bandits… or a bead, no one's sure, but… I was the only one to survive. _I _was with them at the time, only _I_ survived. Sometimes I wish it hadn't been so." He added quietly.

"Wait, you were with them, but you don't know what killed them?"

"Yeah, my memory of it is strangely blank. So there's no way to contradict the town's people." _even I'm starting to feel like I'm cursed…_ Yugi thought, tears forming in his eyes. So the next words the stranger spoke surprised him.

"That's stupid!"

"W-what?" Yugi asked, startled.

"They can't blame all their burdens on you! You're a victim here too! You have enough to worry about so tell them to leave you alone!" the stranger ordered. Yugi really wanted to believe him, but…

"But they won't listen to me. They never do." Yugi sighed. The stranger's eyes narrowed dangerously and Yugi suddenly wanted to take his words back.

"Then make them listen! It's not that hard! Get a little violent if you have to!"

"But I-!"

"No buts! ... You know what; I can fix all of this!"

"H-how?" Yugi asked, confused by the sudden mood swing.

"Come with me. We'll leave this town and go travel. Anywhere and everywhere! Other towns won't know of your so called 'curse'! This way, we can both be happy!"

"B-both?" Yugi blushed, what could the man want with him?

"Well, you see, I'm a bit dense in the navigation area and I'll bet you're way better at it than I am, so how about it? Partner?" the man struck out his hand.

Yugi thought for a moment. He was scared of this idea, new places he'd never been and no one he'd ever known, but wasn't that the point? So that no one could claim he was cursed? Decision set, Yugi clamped his hand around the other's determined, "Partner!" he agreed.

"Good, now that that's settled, proper introductions are in order. My name is Yami."

"And as you've most likely heard, I'm Yugi. Nice to meet you, Yami!"

"The pleasure is mine." Yami grinned. Yugi felt his face heat up. "Now, when is the earliest that you can be prepared to set out?"

Looking around at his meager belonging, Yugi sighed and shrugged, "Probably less than an hour."

"Hm, that won't do. If we leave anytime between now and dusk, we'll likely still to travel during the night. It's best to leave in the morning. By then, I should have everything we need put together." Yami said, seeming to run through a list of needed items in his head.

"We will need a map, yes? Where, might I ask, are we journeying to?" Yugi cocked his head to the side cutely.

"The Riverstain Cliffs!" Yami informed him cheerfully. That being said, the older squeezed back out the entrance with a quick, "I'll be back later." As he left Yugi completely frozen to the spot.

"The other Dark Ones are at… and he wants to g to…" Yugi buried his face in his hands, "This is not good! Not good at all!"

Phantomworks; how's that?

**Alice; nice.**

Phantomworks: thank you. Okay, I only have like two more to type up then we can do the poll… after Bye Atem, of course.

**Alice: of course.**


End file.
